Postpartum Psychosis: New Mothers Express Their Need for Support
Orlaith Quinn was an outgoing and lively mother of two until halfway through her third pregnancy, when she became uncharacteristically withdrawn. She increased her anxiety during exams, but doctors told her that was normal. When she became manic after giving birth and told her family that she had attempted suicide three times, she was evaluated by a psychiatrist who determined she was not at risk for suicide. p>
Quinn had developed postpartum psychosis, which has good recovery rates, but an inquest determined earlier this year that her death in late 2018 at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital in Belfast was "both predictable and avoidable".
Her husband, Ciaran, believes that if the hospital had a specialized mother-child unit, "the hospital culture would have been different", and the staff would have been more aware and experienced in management of perinatal and postnatal mental health issues.
"This is an absolute crime Northern Ireland does not have a mother and child unit - there is many in England, Wales and now Scotland.Why haven't women here had this service – why should women here suffer?Why aren't they treated equally? Why don't they have the same services when we are governed by the same people? It takes my breath away,” he said.
The number of women dying p during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth in the UK has risen sharply, with women being three times more likely to die in pregnancy compared to those in Norway. Suicide is the leading cause, accounting for 18% of deaths, and the WHO has now warned that the cost of living crisis is exacerbating the picture.
A coroner ruled that there were multiple failures in the hospital's handling of Quinn's case: she was diagnosed with obsessional neurosis, although the psychiatrist noted that a postpartum psychosis could not be ruled out. Despite this, she was not given medication or transferred to a psychiatric ward and was left unattended in a room.
The impact of Orlaith's death on the Quinns was devastating. "The grief completely consumed me and overwhelmed every cell in my body to the point that I couldn't function day to day," Ciaran said. "The nature of her death, how quickly it happened, how unexpected it was for us and given that my baby girl was only a day old, I didn't think I would get over it. one day," he said.
Toni Evans from Swansea has witnessed the impact a mother-baby unit can have. She developed postpartum depression and psychosis after giving birth to her daughter in 2019. At the time, there were no units in her area, The Beeches, which is one of the most deprived of the United Kingdom, or even of all of Wales. She had to travel 180 miles to Derbyshire to receive the proper care, and thinks if she hadn't been able to, "I wouldn't be 100% here today".
Although she was fortunate enough to get weekly perinatal mental health appointments, she deteriorated rapidly after the birth of her daughter and developed suicidal thoughts.
After a psychiatric evaluation, Evans was placed in a coeducational mental health unit at her local hospital, which she found a "scary" experience as she was separated from her daughter and surrounded by patients very sick. "I didn't feel like I belonged there. I felt like I was already losing connection with [my daughter] Sarah and I think our separation hurt me even more."
She was sent 180 miles away to a mother unit- as a child in Derbyshire she found it "fantastic" and a more comfortable and accommodating environment.
However, traveling so far from home was overwhelming: "I remember most getting into that minibus and seeing my husband beckoning his newborn daughter and wife away and he was crying. It will stay with me forever."
She stayed there for seven weeks, but said she would have "struggled more" if it had happened during the cost of living crisis. are not rich in money we are doing well but my husband had to keep on diesel every time he went up and in seven weeks thats a lot to do Derby was great to put my husband on in a hotel, but he had to feed himself and my little boy, they had to pay for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
Evans has since...
Orlaith Quinn was an outgoing and lively mother of two until halfway through her third pregnancy, when she became uncharacteristically withdrawn. She increased her anxiety during exams, but doctors told her that was normal. When she became manic after giving birth and told her family that she had attempted suicide three times, she was evaluated by a psychiatrist who determined she was not at risk for suicide. p>
Quinn had developed postpartum psychosis, which has good recovery rates, but an inquest determined earlier this year that her death in late 2018 at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital in Belfast was "both predictable and avoidable".
Her husband, Ciaran, believes that if the hospital had a specialized mother-child unit, "the hospital culture would have been different", and the staff would have been more aware and experienced in management of perinatal and postnatal mental health issues.
"This is an absolute crime Northern Ireland does not have a mother and child unit - there is many in England, Wales and now Scotland.Why haven't women here had this service – why should women here suffer?Why aren't they treated equally? Why don't they have the same services when we are governed by the same people? It takes my breath away,” he said.
The number of women dying p during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth in the UK has risen sharply, with women being three times more likely to die in pregnancy compared to those in Norway. Suicide is the leading cause, accounting for 18% of deaths, and the WHO has now warned that the cost of living crisis is exacerbating the picture.
A coroner ruled that there were multiple failures in the hospital's handling of Quinn's case: she was diagnosed with obsessional neurosis, although the psychiatrist noted that a postpartum psychosis could not be ruled out. Despite this, she was not given medication or transferred to a psychiatric ward and was left unattended in a room.
The impact of Orlaith's death on the Quinns was devastating. "The grief completely consumed me and overwhelmed every cell in my body to the point that I couldn't function day to day," Ciaran said. "The nature of her death, how quickly it happened, how unexpected it was for us and given that my baby girl was only a day old, I didn't think I would get over it. one day," he said.
Toni Evans from Swansea has witnessed the impact a mother-baby unit can have. She developed postpartum depression and psychosis after giving birth to her daughter in 2019. At the time, there were no units in her area, The Beeches, which is one of the most deprived of the United Kingdom, or even of all of Wales. She had to travel 180 miles to Derbyshire to receive the proper care, and thinks if she hadn't been able to, "I wouldn't be 100% here today".
Although she was fortunate enough to get weekly perinatal mental health appointments, she deteriorated rapidly after the birth of her daughter and developed suicidal thoughts.
After a psychiatric evaluation, Evans was placed in a coeducational mental health unit at her local hospital, which she found a "scary" experience as she was separated from her daughter and surrounded by patients very sick. "I didn't feel like I belonged there. I felt like I was already losing connection with [my daughter] Sarah and I think our separation hurt me even more."
She was sent 180 miles away to a mother unit- as a child in Derbyshire she found it "fantastic" and a more comfortable and accommodating environment.
However, traveling so far from home was overwhelming: "I remember most getting into that minibus and seeing my husband beckoning his newborn daughter and wife away and he was crying. It will stay with me forever."
She stayed there for seven weeks, but said she would have "struggled more" if it had happened during the cost of living crisis. are not rich in money we are doing well but my husband had to keep on diesel every time he went up and in seven weeks thats a lot to do Derby was great to put my husband on in a hotel, but he had to feed himself and my little boy, they had to pay for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
Evans has since...
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